posted on August 14, 2001 09:36:45 PM new
I am loving all the pet threads! Thought I'd see how much we all spoil our favorite pets?
I have been told (over and over) how much I spoil my dog. I can't help it. To me, she's just the most adorable thing in the world and I love spoiling her!
She's a 16 month old (8lb) min pin, and she owns:
--Her own doggy bed (which doesn't get used, she prefers mine!)
--A HUGE box of different kinds of doggy toys including squeaky hamburgers and pacifiers
--A life vest for swimming
--A whole cupboard dedicated just for her treats & Nylabones (not including her regular food)
--About 15 different "sweaters" or "jackets" (including an adorable black faux-leather motorcycle looking jacket with the matching hat)
--Boots to keep her paws dry when going outside when it's wet
--A seat belt for when going for rides in the car
In fact, I think at one time she thought the cats were her "toys"
When I take her out places where she will be outside, I pack up a whole basket full of stuff for her, including her favorite blanket that she can lay on so she doesn't have to lay in the grass.
To make things worse, I just spent the last couple hours shopping the www.drsfostersmith.com website and bought a few more things for her that I felt she just "needed"!
Friends & family members look at me like I'm crazy . Please share how you spoil your favorite pet so I don't feel so bad!
Here's a pic of Alexis - the spoiled pooch!
Would also love to see pics of those spoiled pets!
[ edited by ExecutiveGirl on Aug 14, 2001 09:41 PM ]
posted on August 15, 2001 08:02:21 AM new
I don't spoil them with too much stuff but I'm pretty lax and let them have the run of the house.
Three cats, all fixed males. One almost two years old, and two almost a year old.
They jump on counters and I let them - something that wasn't tolerated when I had a husband and a mother who lived close.
They sleep on my bed - another thing I've never before let animals do.
My middle "son," loves to jump on our backs if we bend over for something in the fridge. Then of course, we have to walk bent over to the bedroom or living room so he can casually walk off onto something soft.
posted on August 15, 2001 08:27:48 AM new
I gave up on buying toys for my cats. They've turned their noses up at everything I've purchased except the scratching post. They go everywhere in the house except the bedroom - these longhaired guys produce too much cat hair for that.(Plus, one of them is a fastidious groomer and barfs up hairballs everywhere. I don't need to find that on the bed!)
They're cheaply entertained - paper bags, boxes,paperwads, and cloth tape measures. Here's the cat brat with his favorite toy - the tape measure. He meows every time I pass it. He wants me to whip it around so he can catch it and then play tug-of-war.
posted on August 15, 2001 09:27:40 AM new
I love dogs, I tolerate cats, I love birds (I had 4 parrots at one time), and aquariums are great. When you say 'spoiled pets' I shudder and think of an ex-girlfriend I lived with for a couple years. She had a dog that made my life miserable. I think the dog is the prime reason we broke up. The dog had a better blanket than me, the dog was feed more regular than me. It was miserable, I kept wishing the dog would have an 'accident'.
She would buy the dog the 'lite' dog food because it was gaining weight. I'd suggest just keep the can opener out of sight and the dog wouldn't be opening up cans and over eating, the girlfriend would glare at me.
I bought some expensive carpeting for the computer/office room, I asked that the dog not be allowed in this one room, the girlfriend glared at me. The first thing the dog did was to drag itself across the floor using the new carpet as toilet tissue. So much for my plans of laying on the floor watching TV.
I could type volumes on what this dog did to make my life miserable. Everytime I complained my girlfriend would glare at me like I had insulted her child.
My wife is allergic to dogs and cats. We do have an aquarium though.
posted on August 15, 2001 09:44:57 AM new
And then here's his buddy - the wimp. One shot is all you get of this cat unless you want to take a picture of his hind end as he races away. The sound of the shutter may as well be a shotgun blast - all the same to him.
Mr. Pinky sitting on the only cat toy in which I've wisely invested.
posted on August 15, 2001 12:04:23 PM new
Mostly our dogs get dry dog food.
But....
I read once where it was good to cook up carrot & potato peels for dogs. Now, if we have chicken soup, so do they. All the "innards", wing tips & tail, and skin along with the peels. And a touch of Italian seasoning so it doesn't stink while cooking.
I trim off the fat on out meat and cook it separately for the dogs, and when the local stores have day-old meat (the cheap stuff like stock bones & chicken livers) that's what they get for dinner. When our eggs go out of date, I mix them with stale bread and make doggie omelets.
But mostly they get dry dog food. Sometimes with table scraps.
posted on August 15, 2001 12:19:02 PM new
My friend (the dog officer) maintains that dogs, being omnivores, are having their health harmed by getting only packaged pet foods. She made sense to me, so now ours gets the table scraps that seem reasonable, along with dog food. Our vet agrees, as well. My family fed our dogs that way when I was growing up, and they were certainly a healthy bunch.
Our parrot gets a little of everything too. He likes a little salsa on his baked potato...
posted on August 15, 2001 03:14:07 PM new
Hi everyone!
I love these pics ~ you guys have some adorable pets!
It's nice to know there are so many animal lovers out there... there are way too many cases of animal abuse out there, it's very sad.
I watch a lot of the "Animal Planet" channel and when I see some of those "animal abuse" shows it makes me want to spoil my pets even more!
Does anyone have any specific recipes for dog treats that are easy to make and good for dogs? Would love to hear some.
There is an outlet mall near me, and there is this store - "The Chocolate Factory" and they sell 2 sizes of dog biscuits that are half dipped in white chocolate. They say they are safe for dogs, and every time I go there I get some for Alexis - she loves them! I never knew before I saw them there that white chocolate was not harmful to dogs!
posted on August 15, 2001 06:31:22 PM new
And then there were three....We had a Golden Retreiver & a Lab, bought mom a Shitzu & agreed to train it for her. THAT was in March. The little "princess" is still here!!...After alittle adjustment period, they learned to get along!
And now are one big happy (spoiled!) family! (But I must say they are ALL very obedient, if ONLY my kids behaved half as well, I'd have it made!)
They get dry dog food, table scraps, dog goodies & their absolute favorites: COOKIES!!
~ Rancher
[ edited by rancher24 on Aug 15, 2001 06:32 PM ]
posted on August 17, 2001 07:08:42 AM newBarry El Blobbo...RealllllyHmph...I have a rather large Maine Coon when it is time to go to the Vet's he knows it no matter how "normal" I try to make the day. Ever seen a large cat hunker down to about 4 square inches of fur & eyeballs...he can do it.
Rancher Tha picture of Etta and Princess is too cute...I've never been so lucky as to have a camera at the right time and place as that one!
All the pets deserve to be spoiled they are so dear even Spaz's Charlotte...so how is "Little Miss Muffet?"
EG have you checked with your vet about the white chocolate?
[ edited by zilvy on Aug 17, 2001 07:15 AM ]
I had looked up white chocolate on the net and found this:
Can Dogs Eat White Chocolate?
Q: I know that regular chocolate is toxic for dogs, but what about white chocolate? I recently got some dog biscuits dipped in white chocolate. The makers say it's safe to feed my dog. Is it?
A: That's a good question, and the answer is yes. Regular dark chocolate is made from cacao beans, which contain high levels of theobromine — a caffeinelike substance that can cause chocolate toxicosis. White chocolate, on the other hand, is made from cocoa butter and is safe for dogs. The amount of theobromine in powdered cocoa varies, but it can be quite high. Generally, the darker the chocolate the higher the theobromine content.
By the way, according to Hershey's Products the amount of caffeine in different chocolate products is also extremely variable. For example, Swiss mocha hot chocolate and unsweetened baking chocolate have ten times the caffeine of 2% chocolate milk. Reese's Pieces are made from cocoa butter, not cacao beans, and have neither caffeine nor theobromine. Now I know I can have white chocolate and Reese's Pieces for dessert without staying awake all night!
posted on August 17, 2001 11:37:33 AM newEG I figured you would have checked it out...glad to hear that...when I was very young our beagle got into a box of chocolates that had been gifted to my Mom..."Shorty" really had to work to get 'em jumped up on a chair (never had done that before) and onto the table...never, never before and carried the box to the front hall where he ate cardboard (couldn't find all of the box) and the contents of a 2 lb box.
Dad gave him something to make him vomit and although he didn't act very frisky for a couple of days he recovered.
. Please share how you spoil your favorite pet so I don't feel so bad!
We do have an aquarium though.
